First, let’s review. In Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) poses as an elderly British nanny so he can spend more time with his three kids after his wife Miranda (Sally Field) divorces him. Shortly after the divorce, Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire is spending every afternoon at Miranda’s house, and Miranda is dating Stu (Pierce Brosnan), a blast from her past who’s in town to build a high-end bed and breakfast. This situation eventually implodes when Euphegenia Doubtfire is unmasked in front of Miranda, Stu, and all three kids.
So here’s the theory: Stu is the biological father of all three Hillard children. He and Miranda, who dated in college, have been hooking up on business trips once every few years since. Miranda has been in love with Stu the whole time, but he has never previously wanted to settle down and raise a family. Now that he’s getting a little older, Stu has a change of heart. So he comes to San Francisco to meet his children and pursue another serious relationship with their mother.
Stu and Miranda have some ancient and also some not-so-ancient history.
1. When Stuart first shows up to Miranda’s office, her eyes light up. Stuart says, “It’s been a long time.” Miranda agrees.
2. At one point, Stu is at Miranda’s house and tells the kids a story about when he and their mother were juniors in college. I guess it really has been a long time.
3. When Stuart and Miranda meet one-on-one to go over interior design plans for his bed and breakfast, he tells her, “You realize I’ve been following your career in the trades these past couple of years.” Wait, past *couple* of years? Maybe it hasn’t been that long since they last saw each other. Also, how many times did they see each other between college and a “couple of years” ago?
4. Miranda responds, “I was flattered you thought of me after all these (pause) years and everything.” Stu responds, “...Everything. Well… ancient history.” Miranda says, “Yeah,” fighting back tears. Okay, this guy is definitely more than just an old friend.
Miranda has loved Stu this whole time.
5. Let me begin by repeating that Miranda’s eyes light up when Stuart first shows up to her office. She is also visibly excited when she finds out that Stu is going to start a bed-and-breakfast in San Francisco, where she lives.
6. Miranda is absolutely giddy when talking about Stu to “Mrs. Doubtfire”. She says, “He’s a client… a friend… was a friend. He is a friend. I don’t know what’s happening!”
7. At one point, Daniel suggests that Miranda never let him have sex with her when they were married. Miranda doesn’t disagree. Later, Miranda confides in “Mrs. Doubtfire” that she didn’t particularly enjoy sex with Daniel. I mean, she’s clearly been having sex with someone, at least every few years.
8. Miranda doesn’t ask for a divorce until after she finds out that Stu will be starting a business (and probably a life) in San Francisco. Daniel suggests taking a vacation and doing couples counseling. She says it’s too late because they have nothing in common. Daniel says, “Sure we do - we love each other. We love each other, don’t we?” Miranda simply responds, “I want a divorce.”
Stu moved to San Francisco because he’s finally ready to settle down and be a family man.
9. Stu shows up out of seemingly nowhere (okay, seemingly England, but that’s pretty far away) to start a business and probably a life in San Francisco, where Miranda and her family live.
10. Stuart called Miranda’s company and specifically requested her to do the interior design for his bed and breakfast.
11. When Miranda shows Stu her sketches for the bed and breakfast and gives him an in-depth explanation of her vision, he just says, “You look better than ever.” She continues on with her explanation, and Stu says, “I’d love to get reacquainted” and asks her out to dinner.
12. Stu’s friend Ron is shocked to see him at the club pool with three kids. Stu tells him that he’s been seeing Miranda, and they’re her kids. Ron says, “You? The guy who’s never having kids? Won’t have anything to do with kids? You won’t even date a woman who’s got kids!” Stu says, “People change, Ron. I’m pushing forty; I don’t want to spend the rest of my life by myself.”
Some lines that suggest Stu and Daniel both know Stu is the biological father
13. Stu goes on to tell his friend Ron that he’s crazy about Miranda’s kids, especially Natalie, the youngest. It’s hard to believe that a guy who hates kids would just fall in love with any three kids. Also, wouldn’t the youngest one be the most childlike and therefore hardest for him to like? Could it be that he loves them so much because they’re all his kids, and he’s trying extra hard with Natalie because he still has a chance to be there during her childhood?
14. At the pool, Natalie says to Stu, “Your tummy looks different from my daddy’s.” He gives a humored smile and doesn’t really know how to respond.
15. When Miranda shows up an hour early to pick up the kids from Daniel’s apartment, he says, “You’re my goddamn kids too!” Too? As in biologically you’re Stu’s, but I raised you?
16. During this same scene, Daniel suggests that Miranda never let him have sex with her while they were married. I mean, someone had to make those kids.
17. “Mrs. Doubtfire” walks into Miranda’s house one day, and Stu is there. Miranda says, “This is Stu. He just wanted to come home and meet the kids.” Daniel replies, “Oh, did he?” Stu then tells “Mrs. Doubtfire” that Miranda has told him a lot about her. Daniel says, “Odd. She’s never mentioned you.” Never as in...the whole time I’ve been raising your kids?
18. Miranda then pulls the nanny aside and giddily tries to explain who Stu is. “He’s a client… a friend… was a friend. He is a friend.” Daniel says, “What is he?” I mean seriously though, Miranda, what is he?
19. In this same conversation, Miranda asks “Euphegenia” how long it took her to feel sexual desire after her husband’s death. The nanny says, “Once the father of your children is out of the picture, the only solution is total and lifelong celibacy.” Is Daniel actually explaining why he thinks his ex-wife stopped having sex with him?
20. In her phone interview with Miranda, “Mrs. Doubtfire” says that for the past fifteen years, she’s been raising someone else’s children, to whom she got attached. We never actually find out how old the eldest Hillard daughter is, but she looks about fifteen to me.
21. The first time Daniel meets the kids while dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire, he tells Natalie that she reminds him of Stuart Little, a character who is raised by an adoptive father.
22. I’ll repeat that this movie is about Daniel posing as a nanny. Think about the symbolism there.
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